Grazing muzzle 1st day

[SVMel]

Hi! Am using a grazing muzzle for the first time this year on our shetty, trying to avoid laminitis. He doesn't have it, but got very fat last year on new grazing, so am trying to stop any problems before they start.

Today is the first time he has a muzzle on and I feel so rotten I don't know what to do . He has spent the couple of hours I was there wandering about, getting cross and trying to rub it off (all expected to be honest). He does put his head down, but doesn't seem to be trying to get any blades of grass at all, despite me pushing grass through the hole, showing him he can still eat. He digs a bit at the ground, then gives up and stands about looking dejected.

How long do I persevere and how do I know if he's managed to get anything at all?? The only other answer is to split him up from the other 3 to restrict his grazing, and I didn't really want to do that either. Feel so bad, but trying to do the best I can for him. Any advice gratefully received!!

ps its a canvas type muzzle with a rubber plate across the bottom with a hole in, like the best friends ones, I think.

 

[finkle]

I know what you mean..I bought one for my mare and she did try and graze with it on but rubbed her chin. I had to continually monitor her as she managed to get it off. I tried it in desperation as she just jumped out of the electric paddock all the time.

I had to move her to a livery yard up the road that has tiny post and rail paddocks and now she goes out all day. I never managed to crack the grazing muzzle thing to be honest with her.

 

[tikino]

just keep going with it and he will get use to it and settle down . he will graze whenhe is hungry

 

[milliepops]

just keep going with it and he will get use to it and settle down . he will graze whenhe is hungry

I second this. I used one on my mare for the first time last year. She had a real temper for the first day or so but when I stopped watching her she eventually settled down and worked out how to eat with it on. Stick with it - it's for his own good and he will get used to it

 

[teddyt]

You MUST train him to get used to it. You shouldnt just put it on for a long period of time and expect him to accept it straight away. You wouldnt do that with a rug, saddle or bridle, so why a muzzle?

Pu it on for an hour at first. Then gradually increase the length of time he wears it. Show him where the water is and try to show him he can still drink. Ditto the grass. He has to learn how to eat and different lengths of grass are easier than others to eat through a muzzle- too long and it just gets squashed and too short and it wont reach his teeth through the hole.

A muzzle is much better than laminitis but they need to be trained to wear them. The alternative is to fence off another paddock for some or all of the time and feed hay.

 

[BigRed]

shetland ponies are very adaptable and ingenious and also prone to be sulky. Mine has worn a grazing muzzle for years, with great success. I didn't train him, I just made sure it was securely fixed to a headcollar so he couldn't get it off. Of course he is miserable, you have just stopped him stuffing his face. Believe me when I say, he will get used to it. Mine still tries to rub it off, so I am afraid that is normal. On a hot day he gets a hot nose, but to be honest he also gets to spend the day in a lovely big field with his friend, rather than being confined to a tiny diet paddock. He also gets to avoid laminitis which is a HUGE bonus.

When he gets hungry enough he will figure it out.

 

[millimoo]

I have a Shetland and spent ages agonising over which Muzzle to get, although I didn't want to pay the Greenguard prices.
In the end I settled on a muzzle from Dinky Rugs. It's not as enclosed as the Rubber bottomed types, and actually exposes the nostrils.

The bottom is webbing, and whilst he intially looked like he wasn't being able to eat he can and does. Although I will concede it will probably wear a bit quicker than the rubber bottomed ones.
http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/epages/jr29kctxxscu.sf - HOMEPAGE
http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/epa...ops/jr29kctxxscu/Categories/10_Grazing_Muzzle - MUZZLE PAGE

This muzzle has not rubbed at all, and he doesn't mind wearing it and it is light weight, plus the website is great for other little bits and peices

 

[dwi]

They all look miserable at first but stick with it. If you're concerned bring him in for an hour in the evening and give him a hay net while you do other jobs so you know that he has had some fibre going through him.

 

[Porkie]

Keep a very close eye on him, don't leave it on for long straight away - make sure he still drinks and doesn't get dhydrated.

We used to use one every summer for years on my oldie but every year he would get more and more dejected as they weeks went on and it would rub. We finally decided the better thing was to move him to a starvation paddock. Not much grass, no muzzle needed. he might get hungry but he doesn't have to wear the muzzle and we are both so much happier.

I don't disagree with them but know how depressed it made my old boy I wouldn't go back to it now, I'd make any other alternative like bare paddock or strip grazing etc - anything so he doesn't have to wear it. He is 29 now and this we are heading into the third summer of not muzzle - the muzzle has grown cobwebs and that's the way i intend it to stay!

Good luck but if in doubt I'd go for the change of field instead!

 

[Booga22]

I know how you feel, but you can't explain to them what their other option is! My mare wears hers every day, and can now even eat soaked hay through it! She also wheres the webbing variety with a padded headpeice & padding around the jaw (a cut up noseband sleeve! )They will hate it to start off with esp as natives tend to believe they were put on this planet just to eat, but he will get used to it. Like you said, this way he still has horsey frinds right with him, and you're being very responsible by preventing one of the most evil conditions these guys could get.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Stick with it, basically introduce it gradually as someone else said, I had to 'customise' mine so he doesn't get it off

I don't have the option of strip grazing/bare paddock so thats the only thing I can do if I want him alive not dead

 

[blond1]

I know how bad you feel when you watch them looking so sad when they are getting used to wearing the muzzle. My daughter's pony took about a week to get used to it. She was eventually fine and ended up making her own entertainment by collecting water in the bottom of her bucket type muzzle and flicking the water over the other ponies in the field . It was a good way to start a mad gallop around! If she was in a small starvation paddock she wouldn't have the space to do this and I would then be faced with the nightmare of keeping the hairy houdini somewhere where she doesn't want to be.

If your shetland is ridden you may want to take the muzzle of one or two hours before he starts work. My daughter's pony used to be really grumpy when asked to work on an emptyish stomach and it would be a trigger for her 'get off and walk' moments. Stick with it as they do get used to it.

 

[Wimbles]

Some great advice here which is perfect for me as we have recently purchased a little welsh a cross as a companion to our biggies. I want her out with the big boys to do her "job" when we take the others out and things so she is having a muzzle bought for her so I think all this info will stand me in good stead.

 

[SVMel]

Thanks all for your replies. We're persevering at the moment, but still haven't seen him manage to eat. The grass length varies from 2 inches long to about 4-5 at the edges, and despite him trying it all, hasn't got it yet. Poor little man just stands all day looking dejected, even when he doesn't know we're there.

I know we've got to stick with it, I might try the canvas bottomed muzzles someone kindly put the link up for earlier (sorry, name escapes me right now!!), see if he copes better with one of those.

 

[touchstone]

I found I had to make the hole in the bottom slightly larger as my mare couldn't eat in hers after several days of persevering. With the larger hole she did graze, but has now rubbed her chin raw so the electrric fencing is back out.

 

[MontyandZoom]

Agree with the others to persevere for a while. Our little ginge does the most hilarious darth vader impression. She basically acts like she can't breathe.......very upsetting! However, I can leave her for 12 hours and she doesn't die from lack of oxygen.....